Director and Globe Theatre chair Brent Caldwell has looked back across the decades to engage with two of the original 1961 cast members — former editor of The Star Richard Stedman and broadcaster Dougal Stevenson.
The pair will make a cameo appearance as a homage to the cast and crew of Globe cofounders Patric and Rosalie Carey’s 1961 production.
The appearance highlights a special connection for cast member Maegan Stedman-Ashford — Stedman’s granddaughter, who will play Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, which will run from May 21-30.
Caldwell said many people did not realise the Globe Theatre actually opened in 1961 with Romeo & Juliet, so staging the play for its 65th anniversary was a way of honouring those roots.
This production of Romeo & Juliet would be intimate, visceral and deeply connected to the Dunedin community.
‘‘We felt it was important to make this play a celebration of the Globe’s rich history and have adapted it to reflect the period the theatre was opened,’’ Caldwell said.
‘‘This is why we are setting it in rural Otago, in May of 1961.’’
The Verona of the play would be a hybrid of Outram, Waitahuna and Lawrence, where two warring families were farming families.
‘‘It works very well to bring the play into a rural area, and opens up some interesting possibilities for staging.’’
An experienced cast, including Chris Cook and Caitlin Gordon as Romeo and Juliet, were into rehearsals.
The staging of the play would include some exciting new elements including settings and landscapes projected onto a cyclorama (curved backdrops) — these were being designed by 18 yearold art student Amber Munro.
‘‘It’s great to be able to bring in data projection and other new elements into the staging of the play — it’s all part of bringing past and present together,’’ Caldwell said.
As a director, Caldwell is fascinated by the internal timeline of Romeo & Juliet, in which the whole story unfolds across just 97 hours.
‘‘I think the fact that the characters are under pressure and the decisions they make are why the outcomes are not what they want. It’s an interesting element of the play.’’
To ensure safety for the actors throughout the play, Caldwell has brought in fight co-ordinators Andrew Brinsley-Pirie and Ashley Stewart, as well as intimacy coordinator Chelsea McRae.
‘‘We want to depict love on the stage, but we want our actors to feel secure and comfortable throughout — that way everyone has a good experience.’’
